


never fear (one hundred strokes, five hundred laps)

by Rosse



Series: Assorted Character Drabbles of IDFK [10]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Character Study, Drabble, Gen, I Don't Even Know, Morning Routines, POV Second Person, Stream of Consciousness, Superstition, i apologise if i offended anyone, idfk, luck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-24
Updated: 2014-04-24
Packaged: 2018-01-20 16:22:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1517171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosse/pseuds/Rosse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Scrub away dead layers and the sheen of tossing and turning, because you’ve always tossed and turned. Always had too much energy.</p>
<p>And too many nightmares."</p>
<p>On Gai and a morning routine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	never fear (one hundred strokes, five hundred laps)

Hair first. One hundred strokes. Clean the bristles of the brush, remove the dead strands that look so dull in the dusky pre-morning. Squeeze the tube with that wringer you bought last year - it seems so silly, doesn’t it? That’s what everyone said. Raised brows and slow blinks. Why bother? - and press just enough gel between your palms, warm it, spread it across your hair.

Scentless. Shining.

Wash your hands. One pump of liquid soap, one minute scrubbing clean. That marker on the tap that keeps your water at the perfect temperature and pressure for washing your hands is red and worn with months of cleaning; you’ll have to mark it again. Saturday. You always clean the bathroom on Saturday, after all. Another pump of soap; you take a nail brush, scrub under to remove all traces of dirt from them and put your hands through their cleaning paces three more times.

Good luck. It’s good luck.

Teeth next. Spend two minutes there with a pea sized drop of toothpaste - you don’t need more to get that perfect smile and waste is so unnecessary - and a medium-firm brush. Back teeth first, because they’re just as important as the ones that glisten and gleam in the light, again and again until you’re satisfied. And then it’s time for the front.

It is important to be presentable.

Wash your face, never forget that. Never forget to make sure all parts of your body are as clean as possible - day and night night and day - and take a cloth to naked, scarred skin that makes you wince and beam with pride all at the same time. Old stories, old shames, old honours. Scrub away dead layers and the sheen of tossing and turning, because you’ve always tossed and turned. Always had too much energy.

And too many nightmares.

Push away the fear, hide it under a routine that works. A routine of luck. One that forestalls death - and it must, because no one dies when you take the time to do one hundred strokes and five hundred laps. Push away the fear and wrap yourself in bright colours like a deadly animal. Warning bells, klaxons roaring. Forget the thunder of your heart and the grip of some phantom devil that tries to pull you down.

Become the beast.

Smile, for you are ready. For you will protect and save. Fight and bleed and laugh and train beyond nightfall and past everything else.

Never fear, for you have more than superstition on your side.

**Author's Note:**

> So. I was tempted by the idea of Gai with OCD, but it turned into this, which didn't quite capture the idea I wanted but I liked it nonetheless so I posted it. I'd love concrit anyway!


End file.
